Prevention

Preventing the flu is the single best way to keep yourself healthy and slow the spread of the influenza viruses. Here’s what Northwestern Medicine is doing and what you can do to prevent the viruses and keep them from spreading.

Providing healthcare kiosks - We take the
health of our patients, our employees and the community very seriously.
There are kiosks installed throughout the hospital where anyone can get
masks, sanitizing wipes and tissues to help reduce the spread of viral
and bacterial infections – including influenza.

Offering influenza vaccines - We offer the seasonal influenza vaccine to all employees free of charge.

Educating our staff and the public - We’re
working to educate the public and our staff about the importance of
prevention and limiting the spread of influenza. As a part of our staff
education, we have isolation policies in place for any patient who is
exhibiting flu-like symptoms, and hospital staff know that they need to
follow these policies at all times.

Keeping sick patients protected - We have
protective policies in place for healthcare workers and visitors to wear
a mask with any patient who is exhibiting flu-like symptoms, and
hospital staff know that they need to follow these policies at all
times.

Promoting clean hands
- We work hard to ensure that all healthcare workers and visitors clean
their hands frequently, and always when entering and leaving any
patient's room

Screening our visitors - We are asking all visitors to avoid coming to the hospital if they feel unwell.

Protecting patients from sick caregivers - If
our caregivers get sick, they must stay home from work for seven days or
until they have been fever-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This
will help limit transmission of influenza from staff to patients.